Following a request from the creator of this archive in the Chew Valley Gazette, a number of people involved in the filming of "Arthur of the Britons" got in touch with the paper, and kindly shared their memories. This article was published in the November edition.

The Gazette’s article and letter about the filming of “Arthur of the Britons” at Woollard in the 1970s have brought some interesting responses from readers with clear recollections of the half year’s filming.

Roger Pearce was the camera operator on much of the series, and now lives within two miles of its eventual location at Woollard. He has replied saying that shooting began in a place called Woodchester Park in Gloucestershire, where the first village was constructed on the banks of a lake.

He says Woodchester was actually a far better place to shoot Iron Age Britain: a vast park, managed and farmed, but allowed to live and decay naturally, so pictorially it looked more convincing.

However, it proved far too expensive to transport the cast and crew from Bristol every day, so it was decided to build a village much nearer to the Bristol base and the chosen spot was the top and eastern side of Woollard, in a large and steep meadow which slopes down to the river Chew.

Roger adds: “Our unit base was at the top of the field where vehicles and large marquees were erected, one of which was the dining area; during really bad weather, we had to raise one side of the tent to allow a flow of water through and out the other side down to the river. It being the 70s many of our extras were student types who, apart from their everyday clothes quite looked the part and some took to hiding at the end of each shooting day to evade crew so that they could re-emerge and occupy the better made huts where they could co-habit under furs and skins to the warmth of wood fires and be ready for filming next day!”

Barbara Hatherell and her husband still live in Woollard and were extras in some episodes, as well as providing a comfortable house for the director to take his morning cup of tea. The coupel ran the Chew Valley Restaurant in Keynsham for many years, so the hospitality was much appreciated!

Barbara recalls: “As there was no shop in the village, we supplied ice creams, and our telephone was also useful for the cast.

We got to appear in some episodes, dressed up in sack cloth. There was one scene where my husband played a jeweller in the village, and then after a raid he had to be covered in fake blood, in the ransacked buildings.

Another exciting scene was where Oliver Tobias, who played Arthur, had to walk over hot ashes as a penance.”

The whole of the first and second series from 1972 – 73, were released on DVD about five years ago and can be bought from a number of sources online.

Reviewers are mostly nostalgic re. 1970s television – and very complimentary.

RJ
[Rowland Janes - Editor]


Chew Valley November edit
In response to a letter from the creator of this archive, the Chew Valley Gazette kindly published this feature on "Arthur of the Britons" in their October edition.

Valley scenes, and possibly some extras drafted in from local villages, featured in the 1972 production of “Arthur of the Britons” (yes, that’s Brian Blessed in the top row)

The Gazette has received a letter, printed on page 2, asking for information regarding the filming of “Arthur of the Britons” in 1972.

This has the status of a legend among locals who accepted an invitation to participate as extras or who watched proceedings from nearby.

1972 was probably a good time to be looking for extras with long hair, but reputedly not a good time to be a blonde extra, as the local legend is that some applicants were rejected for not having dark enough hair!

Many of the scenes are still recognisable, although are on land which does not have public access.

If you have stories about your memories of the filming, please contact the writer of the letter, but don’t forget to tell the Gazette as well – they would probably make an entertaining future feature.

Chew Valley article
In 2013, the creator of this archive wrote to the Chew Valley Gazette, in the hope of contacting anyone involved in the filming of "Arthur of the Britons" who still lived in the area. The letter was published in the October edition.

In the latter part of 1972, a film crew arrived in the Chew Valley and built a village in a field at Woollard, to be inhabited by various denizens of the Dark Ages – Celts, Saxons and Jutes. They were filming the Harlech TV series “Arthur of the Britons”, starring Oliver Tobias, Michael Gothard and Jack Watson, with an array of guest stars including Brian Blessed, Tom Baker and Michael Gambon. Extras were hired from the local area to perform as villagers from the various tribes, and often to be thrown around and kicked in the pants by Brian Blessed in the guise of Arthur’s some-time ally, Mark of Cornwall.

“Arthur of the Britons” was a new take on the Arthurian legend, but stripped of its castles and shining armour, and set in an often muddy village where every day for Arthur (Oliver Tobias), his lieutenant and adopted brother Kai (Michael Gothard) and their mentor, Llud (Jack Watson) was a struggle for survival against their neighbours and the encroaching Saxons.

The series came out on DVD in 2008, and since that time, fans have been trying to find out more about its history. We know that filming took place both in Woollard and Compton Dando, but we would love to locate, and perhaps visit, the exact spots featured in the series. There were also scenes at what was called in the series “The Giant’s Dam”, though it was small by modern standards.

So if you lived in the area at the time, and were an extra or worked on the production, if filming took place on your land, or if you saw filming taking place or met any of the cast while they were based in the area, fans would love to hear your stories.

Please get in touch with: joya.ghose@gmail.com or write to Joya Ghose, “Tabula Rasa”, La Rue du Hocq, St Clement, Jersey, JE2 6LF.

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Arthur of the Britons

February 2023

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